Peace o’ Pie Gourmet Vegan Pizza: Food Review

Yes, it has been a while since my last post. Feel free to email me some chastisement. But no worries, this entry is well worth the wait!

What is more fun (and tasty) than grabbing a pizza on a Friday night and then some drinks afterward in a hippie, fun, cool part of Boston called Allston? Not much, except if you make it vegan pizza! That’s right. An all-vegan pizza place opened up this past October in Allston, aptly named Peace o’ Pie Gourmet Vegan Pizza. They renovated the space previously occupied by TJ Scallywaggles– also a vegan eatery. Yes, I should have been the first one lined up on opening day. (Again, feel free to email me some chastisement). Alas, I was holding out to make sure that the word on the vegan street was good and solid before I took my taste buds for a raucous, gustatory, pleasure-seeking thrill ride. This place has been reputed to be some of the best pizza around, vegan or not. So I decided the time had come, and I rounded up a willing participant.

Upon arrival, I immediately went to promoting my company, Purposeful Palate. Come on, what else is a struggling entrepreneur to do? After I had charmed the co-owner, I asked him what was the best item on the comprehensively itemized all-vegan menu. Did I mention it is ALL VEGAN?! Not only do they have pizza with toppings galore, they also have breadsticks (cheesy or plain), and calzones. For the pizza shop ignoramuses among us (do they even exist?), a calzone is a stuffed pizza. Peace o’ Pie describes it as a “pizza turnover.” Hailing from NJ–and in close proximity to NYC and the best pizza in the country–I think one of my first words uttered was “calzone.” Fine, perhaps this is a slight exaggeration, but here’s the bottom line–I was born a foodie. Too bad my parents never saw the whole vegan path a comin’! I hope they don’t blame the calzone for my dietary switch.

Anyway, I now understood why this establishment is named Peace O’ Pie Gourmet Vegan Pizza. A seemingly proper name indeed when faced with the vast array of premium toppings one can pile atop their pizza or in their calzones—artichoke hearts, apple sage sausage, tempeh, sun dried tomatoes, pepperoni, and portabella mushrooms. I was in a semi-conscious vegan haze of edible delights. The decision was difficult, and I was initially leaning toward purchasing several slices, a calzone, and some cheesy breadsticks (let’s repeat this for the peanut gallery: cheesy vegan breadsticks with organic sauce!).

It was so hard to choose: should we go with the Fresh, the EP, the Classy, or the MD pizza pie? I couldn’t figure out what all those initials stood for, but I didn’t really care. I was too focused on the yummy toppings listed following those initials. Upon serious contemplation my “first time vegan pizza eater” and self-proclaimed “carnivore who’s ambivalent about meat” and I decided to try the special of the day: barbecued chicken pizza. Fortunately, we are both big barbecue sauce lovers. We also could have elected to go with a whole-wheat organic crust or–on Thursdays only–a gluten-free crust. Not only do they cater toward the vegan gourmand, but they also support the gluten allergic folks. How thoughtful and strategically savvy.

We sat down at a corner window table. I was pleased with the cute green tables, and the Parma “parmesan” cheese and red hot pepper flake shakers sitting on them. I think the only extra addition ought to have been some garlic powder. In New Jersey it is a sin if pizza places don’t have BOTH garlic powder and red pepper flake shakers available for dousing the greasy, cheesy, non-vegan, and artery clogging taste creation.

Our pizza arrived freshly baked, hot, and doughy. The pizza was amazing—amazing as in “I ate two more slices than my stomach could handle” amazing. Even the crust was superb–soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside. And an extra perk: the very last slice was still warm and soft! Was it on a heated plate? Nope. Did we eat it super fast? Nope. So how’d they do it? The magic secret: it’s vegan! Yes, I’m convinced that its inherent veganism secured it more warmth and flavor till the very last bite. Feel free to challenge me on this—you can include it with your email chastisement (see above). But I felt like I’d at least give my opinion on the matter.

The new Gardein brand mock chicken was used, and this is one of the best mock meats to recently hit the market. The pizza had a bit of marinara sauce on top but was mostly smothered in barbecue sauce. A mixture of cheddar and mozzarella Daiya soy-free cheese was generously melted all over. Peace o’ Pie also carries Vegan Gourmet brand cheese, which is also quite tasty; however, the new Daiya brand has revolutionized the vegan cheese world. We got a large size, and we ate it all! It was heavenly, the best vegan pizza I’ve had in my whole vegan life (12 years to be exact). The Daiya cheese was unbelievably “cheesy,” creamy, and rich (in the healthiest sense of the word, of course). This new vegan cheese has been getting rave reviews for its exceptional taste and melting capabilities. Dare I say it, but I think it may actually resemble (and taste) like the non-vegan version. I know; this is a bold statement, and it’s been a while for my taste buds. But I’m willing to take risks; I’m that kind of gal. So I stand behind the bold and the obvious, especially because my fellow pizza eater (who had NEVER had a vegan pizza before) was duly impressed as well. Did I mention we got a large and ate it all? Enough said.

At one point the owner, Eric Prescott, came over to have a chat. He was interested in the non-vegan’s perspective of the pizza. My friend said this: I am going home and throwing away all of my leftovers from Bertucci’s!

And both Eric and I immediately realized the genius in this statement. It was summed up so eloquently—Bertucci’s be damned, vegan pizza is here to stay. And thankfully, so is Peace o’ Pie. Stop on by or order up a delivery and partake in a tasty vegan epicurean delight.

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